Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

[The Toecutter]

In 2006, Americans voted Democrat by a large enough margin to cancel out most of the harmful effects of electronic voting machines and the usual purging of voters. Why did they vote Democrat? They were tired of the Iraq war, were upset about reliance on foreign oil, were disturbed by the consensus on global warming within the scientific community, were concerned about the direction their country is heading in, and want our men and women in uniform back home.

Will the Democrats deliver on their promises?

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn12192006.html

Democrats Prepare to Fund Longer War

By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

This last Sunday Harry Reid, the incoming Democratic majority leader in the US Senate, went on ABC's Sunday morning show and declared that a hike in U.S. troops in Iraq is okay with him.

Here's the evolution of the Democrats' war platform since November 7, 2006, the day the voters presented a clear mandate: "End the war! Get out of Iraq!" and took the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives away from the Republicans.

...

Enough Democrats have always been available to push these appropriations through, sometimes by huge majorities or, in the Senate, unanimous agreement. Here's the record of shame:

By 2004, when it was clear a disaster was unfolding and after Iraq's alleged WMDs had been exposed as frauds invented by US and British intelligence agencies and the press: HR 4613 -- Final House Vote July 22, 2004: 410-12. Final Senate Vote July 22, 2004: 96-0.

In 2005, by which time it was clear that the US attack had spawning civil war, plus staggering corruption -- HR 1268: Final House Vote May 5, 2005: 368-58. Final Senate Vote May 10, 2005: 100-0. HR 2863: Final House Vote December 19, 2005: 308-106. Final Senate Vote December 21, 2005: 93-0.

By 2006 the American people were turning decisively against the war. Bush's ratings were among the lowest in presidential history. Up came HR 4939: Final House Vote June 13, 2006: 351-67. Final Senate Vote June 15, 2006: 98-1. HR 5631 -- Final House Vote September 26, 2006: 394-22. Final Senate Vote September 29, 2006: 100-0.

...

More in the link above.

[Owl of Parliament]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

[Alzar]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

damn

well, time to kill myself

[josh]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

because it's cool to be a Democrite. I mean Democrat. whoops!

[Alzar]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

I think this should be your new icon terr:

[The Toecutter]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

Nah. I'm more of a Dreary Dorothy.

[neobi]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

I think the party names are biased

republicans (reputation,reputable)
democrats (demote,demolish)

and from this aspect socialists don't sound all that bad

[Vanilla Iced Tea]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

I think the party names are biased

republicans (reputation,reputable)
democrats (demote,demolish)

and from this aspect socialists don't sound all that bad

Nrrrrgggghhh...

[Garr123]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

You've stumbled upon a perfect and flawless theory there nash.

[Valkysas]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

Of course democrats/any human thinking rationally are going to prolong the war. the war is bad, but we can't just pull out now. we ruined their damn country, we can't just up and leave. we have to finish what we started. they didnt want this, they shouldnt have to rebuild their country alone, or fend off all the psychos with guns by themselves.

You totally don't have a point this time. not even close.

[Red Dragon]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

I think the party names are biased

republicans (reputation,reputable)
democrats (demote,demolish)

and from this aspect socialists don't sound all that bad

Of course democrats/any human thinking rationally are going to prolong the war. the war is bad, but we can't just pull out now. we ruined their damn country, we can't just up and leave. we have to finish what we started. they didnt want this, they shouldnt have to rebuild their country alone, or fend off all the psychos with guns by themselves.

You totally don't have a point this time. not even close.

I wish it wasn't true...

[Pandable]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

One more reason I didn't vote.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

Of course democrats/any human thinking rationally are going to prolong the war. the war is bad, but we can't just pull out now. we ruined their damn country, we can't just up and leave. we have to finish what we started. they didnt want this, they shouldnt have to rebuild their country alone, or fend off all the psychos with guns by themselves.

The same thing was said during Vietnam.

Yes, we did destroy their country. But how can we 'finish what we started' when accomplishing such is no longer a realistic, or even a possible goal?

The initial argument favoring the attack on Iraq was that they had weapons of mass destruction and posed a threat to the U.S.; securing the weapons of mass destruction from those who wished to use them on the U.S. was the goal. Problem is, there are non WMDs and were jo WMDs. There was no threat to the U.S. from this country. We cannot complete this task as the condictions do not exist for it to be completed.

One of the arguments currently favored is that we must secure the country in order to stop violence within it. The U.S. has failed to even secure the Green Zone in Baghdad(eg. car bombings and gun fights are a common occurance), let alone the entire country. Iraq is in a state of civil war. The presence of U.S. troops is not stopping this conflict. Even our own generals admit that U.S. presence in Iraq is exacerbating sectarian violence, not quelling it. Given the many recorded instances of U.S. soldiers having been ordered to raid people's homes, detain people without charge or due process, set curfews on communities that do not want them, suppress demonstations against the occupation, torture noncombatant detainees, among other offenses to the Iraqis, it is no surprise that the armed Iraqi resistance against our soldiers has swelled to 4 times its size from 2003 to 2005. A majority of Iraqis(6 out of 10) approve of attacks on American soldiers; the majority in Iraq(71%) want us to leave(WPO).

The situation in Iraq is what is commonly known as a "Catch-22". Whether we pull out or not, the damage will be done and most of it is already done.

I could understand the Democrats not realizing this, but many of them have in fact acknowledged this situation. So why are they even attempting to stay? One only needs to look at opensecrets.org to find out where they get their campaign money from and which companies are making money as a result of this war. Just like the Republicans.

Iraq has already erupted into a civil war. Their infrastructure is destroyed and the current violence is preventing it from being adequately restored. Iraq is expected to have a > 80% unemployment rate for the foreseeable future.

We can keep spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars there and watch our men and women in uniform die on a daily basis as Americans grow ever more discontent and as profits for Halliburton, Betchel, GE, Lockheed, Boeing, and Raytheon keep rising at taxpayer expense. Alternatively, we can pull out, either very soon(in a few months) or immediately. In both cases, civilians will keep dying in large numbers.

This is not a situation that the US can 'win', when it has already lost long ago. Staying there is just putting more U.S. soldiers and more Iraqi civilians in danger. In is making the divide between the U.S. soldiers and the Iraqi civilians who want to get on with their lives even worse. 2,958 U.S. soldiers dead, over 500,000 noncombatant Iraqi civilians dead so far as a result U.S. policy in Iraq.

The more rational choice is rather obvious.

You totally don't have a point this time. not even close.

Perhaps you just don't see it.

Americans voted for a change in leadership; this war was perhaps the key issue to their decision. But they may not have gotten that change in leadership. It appears that they merely got a bunch of neoconservatives under a different party name; not what they wanted.

[Valkysas]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

whether we can repair the country or not, we have to try. we got them into this mess. You don't destroy a country under the guise of "liberation" and then walk away when it's at it's worst.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Why did Americans overwhelmingly vote Democrat again?

We may have gotten them in this mess, but we can only get them out of it if they're willing to let us get them out of it. Given the track record of the U.S. in their country up until the present, they're not to enthusiastic about that prospect, if not offended at the suggestion.

The U.S. has done some good things and for that many Iraqis are grateful, but what cannot be ignored is all of the death, property damage, and outright human rights violations that are a direct result of the U.S. occupation of Iraq; what cannot be ignored is that ultimately U.S. presence in Iraq is doing more harm to the Iraqi people than it is benefitting them and it is certainly causing much harm to the U.S.